A Preparedness Guide for Women: Hygiene and Feminine Needs When Supplies Are Running Short

Whether we like it or not, we ladies have different bodies and different needs than our fellow male preppers. We also need to prepare differently because of this, and we’ve compiled some tips; some of which need to be discussed even though they are downright uncomfortable.

The prepper community can often feel like a “Men’s Only” club. But there are women who want to prepare themselves and their families for the worst. Many ladies often feel like it’s a “guy thing” to get in the survivalist mindset. I’m here to say, we may be few and far between, but we are out there and ready to help support women in their desire to prepare for anything!

Whether we like it or not, we ladies have different bodies and different needs than our fellow male preppers. We also need to prepare differently because of this, and we’ve compiled some tips for a series dedicated to women; some of which need to be discussed even though they are downright uncomfortable.

Sanitation is a critical component of being prepared for extended emergencies. In “The Prepper’s Blueprint“, Some of the greatest threats in an emergency occur after the disaster. Lack of accessible clean water following major disasters can quickly escalate and create secondary problems in a post SHTF situation. Additionally, those unsanitary conditions can exacerbate the spreading of diseases, infections and health risks.

With that in mind, since this is the first of the just for ladies series, let’s start with the most uncomfortable topic first:

FEMININE HYGIENE

The question I am asked most often when other women discover my family is one of “preppers” is how do women deal with their monthly visitor when feminine hygiene products are not readily available. This one is uncomfortable, but it has an easy answer: Menstrual cups.

These have the added benefit of not being disposable and are better for our Earth and will save you a ton of money over time. One menstrual cup can last for 5 years! Disposable pads and tampons could run out if there’s a run on a grocery store, but women can prepare by keeping a menstrual cup on hand or in a bug out bag [LINK]. Heck, why not have a couple in case something goes wrong?

The key to making a menstrual cup work is finding one that YOU like. This is a very personal decision, as menstrual cups are not “one size fits all.” Not all menstrual cups are created equal and you may need to try a few before you are comfortable with their use and find one that will work for YOU. Look around on Amazon and you will see many different options. Two popular versions are the Diva Cup and the Athena Menstrual Cup.These are shaped slightly different and only the woman using it can possibly know what shape will fit her body the best.

Once you’ve selected a menstrual cup, the process of learning how to use it begins. Trigger warning: it can it icky. Menstrual cups are designed to be inserted into the vagina where they collect the menstrual blood rather than absorb it such a tampon. However, after you remove the cup, you simply dump the contents away and rinse it off for another use.

When you first begin the use of the menstrual cup, it’s wise to use a pad (disposable or otherwise) because there is a learning curve involved. We would suggest getting to understand how to use it before something bad happens, just to be certain you know what you’re doing. Plus, again, disposable pads won’t be readily available. You will want something you can reuse, and “period underwear” is an excellent option. It isn’t actually as uncomfortable as you’d think, but much like the menstrual cup, finding the right pair for YOU is essential. While they won’t be effective as your only protection, they will be invaluable while learning to use the menstrual cup and could come in handy on the lighter days you just don’t need a cup for!

OVERALL FEMININE HYGIENE

The last thing you’ll want is an infection when the SHTF, so it’s important to wash everything you use well and disinfect the menstrual cup. There may not be a way to completely eliminate your risk, as any catastrophe will be a difficult situation for everyone. But you can mitigate the risks by keeping your hygiene top notch.

Once you are done menstruating, you will want to store your cup in a bag (most come with one.) Don’t just toss your cup into a backpack, as it’ll get dirty. But first, before you even consider storing your cup for use next month, soak it in hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes to make sure it’s clean, and let it air dry.

INCREASE WATER AND PEROXIDE STORAGE

Maybe this is a good time to stock up on some peroxide, just in case. Not only that, if you are in a situation in which you must store water (you don’t have a well and an electricity-free way to get water out of it) you need to save extra for your personal hygiene and care of your women’s items. You will need to wash your period underwear as well as you possibly can considering where they will be on your body. That said, make sure you never neglect your feminine hygiene, as it could cause you to get a yeast infection and that won’t be fun at all in a SHTF situation!

Of course this is an uncomfortable topic, however, we need to discuss it as women and preppers. We definitely have different needs than men, and we will need to prepare for those regardless of how uncomfortable those topics may be.

Shopping List

water

peroxide

Menstrual cup

Period underwear

sanitary napkins

yeast infection cream

hand sanitizer

Are you a female prepper? Do you have any tips or advice for your fellow women? If so, let us know in the comments!

5 Comments

Jerry D Young
on May 7, 2019 at 3:30 pm

I am male, so only have second-hand information. However, that second-hand information comes from several very capable women I have known, including my mother, two sisters, several cousins, and several female preppers of my acquaintance. Some of the information on which several of the ideas are based is from discussions with OB/GYN and pediatric doctors and nurses.

Please take the information as it is intended. Simply some possibilities and options. I certainly make no claim to have any special insights into women’s needs. I am simply a researcher that tries to collect and provide all manner of information to other preppers for them to use as starting points for their own due diligence research to come up with solutions that are right for them.

Everything in this reply is: Just my opinion.

My thoughts on dealing with pregnancy, birth, and post-birth situations from a prepper perspective.

While this does not really address the feeding of newborns and infants, other than stating that I believe Nestle’s line of Nido baby formula and infant growth formulas are good products. This is from extensive research and not direct observation. However, the company does make a couple of products that I do use, namely their full-fat powdered milk for LTS (Long Term Storage), though it does not store as long as non-fat it does store long enough that I think fresh milk will be available by the time it reaches the non-usable point.

The lists are primarily to address pregnancy through the infant stage of having children, when any part of it, or the entire time might be under adverse conditions due to a variety of reasons.

The lists do not really cover problem pregnancies, problem births, and at-risk newborns and infants. It is pretty much for basic, few-problems situations. For anyone with a family history of problem pregnancies, difficult births, and newborn and infant survival difficulties, much more due diligence research should be done, with the help and cooperation of pediatricians, pediatric nurses, midwives, and other medical professionals whose specialties include these subjects. Follow their advice and instructions.

And, of course, the standard disclaimer. I am not a doctor of any kind, have never played one on TV or in the movies, and did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So, you must do your own due diligence research, and make your decisions based on your knowledge, skills, and the needs of yourself and your family. Do not take anything in this article as medical advice. Everything is simply my opinion, as always, and a starting point for people to do their own research.

The following two sections of this article are from my Home Only-Aid Kit list:

The following list was developed for in-general situations. However, with the stresses a pregnant woman will have during times of disaster, especially one known to be long-term, or one in which there is a great deal of speculation and uncertainty, having some of the items on this list will aid in maintaining a more stress-free atmosphere.

What about RUMP reusable menstrual pads I have been pretty fortunate that I was able to sew my own I’ve been using them now for almost 3 years they came in handy when I went through hurricane Irma 2017 a menstrual cup is not an option for me unfortunately and I think that should be taken into consideration not all women have the arm length to be able to insert one I have normal looking arms except that I can’t reach to properly insert and remove a cup. During hurricane Irma 2017 we had no power for a week that met we didn’t have our well water but I had stockpiled my water provisions and I had no problem washing and drying my reusable pads and keeping my hygiene fine.

Just one comment……don’t “stockpile” too much hydrogen peroxide because it does convert to water over time. I had an infected tooth so grabbed my mom’s hydrogen peroxide to rinse my mouth…..it did nothing. I looked at the label and it had a Best By date of 1997. So yes it does lose effectiveness over time. Definitely, rotate your backup bottles and don’t stock gallons of it long term.

This is a question about older women (and men) who now use pads for excess urination. I do not know hat people did in the “old days.” Well, yes, they stayed home! Even at that we should have adequate protection for bladder incontinence and I cannot think of any simple solution whether stay-home or on the road…Are there any such products for women and for men that might be suggested for use?